For parents of a newborn child, a foremost concern is to ensure that the child receives the best of everything that is critical for his sound and healthy development. A child care center can be regarded as the perfect destination for providing a rich and supportive environment that not only advances learning but nurtures a child for his overall well-being. No wonder, the demand for child care is steadily growing as the number of full-time working parents increases who are desirous of entrusting their child in a child’s activity center that caters to the wholesome development of a child. Indeed, selecting the right activity center that demands thorough foresight and through to make it a worthwhile decision for your child. In this post, we will walk you through the essential factors that are to be considered to make an informed choice
Indoor and Outdoor Activities
Children need adequate space to move around and explore the world so don’t forget to check for internal and outdoor playing environments. It’s important that the center provides for outdoor activities through a safe and stimulating play environment. The outdoor playtime should ideally extend for 30-60 min a day and consist of a wide range of activities like climbing, running and observing , snack time to acquaint children with their outdoor environment and not restrict them to internal classrooms.
Curriculum
Each center is defined by a particular curriculum framework which provides the basic guidelines for the learning approach and educational philosophy to be applied in the classroom. It’s essential that the center follows a definite curriculum plan that is well-rounded enough to harness not only intellectual potential but also offers avenues for social-emotional learning. Make it a point to know about the details of the given curriculum and lesson plans as to whether it encompasses the main child development domains through language-based activities like literature, music, art and dramatic play , STEM lessons for cognitive development, activities involving gross/fine motor skills as well as consistent child-teacher interaction.
Staff Excellence and Teacher-to-Student Ratio
Childcare entails the child’s first exposure to the external world and provides an excellent substitute for the home environment. The quality of a center invariably depends on the presence of knowledgeable and qualified staff and therefore it’s highly important that you entrust your child in capable and trustworthy hands. You can find relevant information related to the center’s faculty on its website , including their qualifications and training credentials to ascertain whether they can be worthy care-givers or you may inquire about it during an in-person visit. Although the staff-to-child ratio varies by state and type of program, it should adhere to the prescribed figure advised by Childcare. Gov with one teacher reserved for a minimum of 3 students for infants and maximum 7 students in case of preschoolers. A smaller group ratio would limit the group size and ultimately ensure that the child is not deprived of individualized attention and care which are crucially linked to his development.
Health and Safety
Safety ought to be a non-negotiable aspect of any child center as your child will be spending a significant portion of his or her time within its premises. Evaluate the health and safety procedures at work in the center including provision of proper sanitation facilities,child-proofing measures and emergency preparedness plans to cope with any eventuality. Also, make sure that the center focuses on health and nutrition which is evident in the snacks and meals that are offered to children. This is critical to inculcate healthy dietary habits in the child and promote hsi active physical and mental growth.
Play-based Learning
Play is an integral component of a child’s overall development and warrants special attention from parents. Give priority to centers that are dedicated to the notion of play-based learning involving a host of spontaneous activities for young children to unleash a child’s hidden creative and learning potential. The thrust behind incorporating free play, indoor and outdoor activities is to stimulate a child’s curiosity to discover the world around him and arouse his imaginative faculties. All work and no play makes jack a dull boy is not simply an age-old axiom but a proven principle in child development that contributes to learning and problem-solving in young children.
Socio-emotional learning
It is crucial that there is a social context behind child development so as to encourage a child’s emotional and social growth. A good child center is characterized by an environment that is rich in opportunities for socialization to teach children appropriate social skills required for normal functioning in the practical world. Adults and peers act as key sources of socialization and hence a child should actively participate in group-based activities where he interacts with children of his age and gets acquainted with essentials of his culture like collaboration and cooperation. The underlying goal is to promote a child’s growing language skills in a way to make him familiar with interpersonal communication and mold him into a socially adept and empathetic child to foster his bonds with the wider community.
License and Accreditation
A preliminary step when searching for the right child center is to ensure that it is a licensed and accredited body that is committed to state-enforced child care regulations and safety standards. A licensed child care provider that is affiliated with professional education organizations such as the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC) is associated with quality educational standards and can be relied on to provide the best early childhood education to your child. Authorized government websites like Childcare. Gov provides a list of licensed childcare providers in your area so that you can easily verify one.
Conclusion
Given the stakes involved, you need to invest the time and efforts to choose the right childcare center that offers the right mix of play and learning to promote active development of the child. If you seek childcare support for your child, then keep the above points in your mind when touring or visiting a center to lead you towards one that can provide the best possible supervision , care and activities to stimulate a child’s cognitive, emotional and social development.
